contents and organization of the paper

The contents and organization of the paper should include: Title page Abstract Main body (see below) List of References or Works Cited (OPTIONAL) , Table of Contents, Appendices for figures, tables, etc. Follow general APA formatting guidelines. I strongly recommend using subject headings in bold to organize the narrative and introduce transition points from one major topic or issue to another, and use paragraphing to break up and further organize the narrative in the body of the paper. I would also appreciate pagination (i.e., inserting sequential page numbers). Good papers clearly present your research findings and analyze and assess those findings. At the graduate school level, you need to do more than report on your research; you must evaluate the significance and potential ramifications of the issue at hand. Where appropriate, you should also critique information you found in the sources you used. End your paper with a meaningful conclusion section. The body of the paper should be approximately 12-20 pages (approximately 250-300 words per page, for a total of about 3,000-5,000 words), not including the Title Page (with Statement of authorship), Table of Contents, Abstract, Tables, Appendixes (if any), and References. Support all statements of facts, assertions, and conclusions with credible sources. Cite the source, whether you are summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting directly. Follow the APA guidelines for quoting sources, including specific page or paragraph numbers in the in-text citations. You must develop your paper using at least 10 high-quality references. Of the 10 or more references, you must rely on and cite a minimum of 5 scholarly or substantive government publications, such as articles from academic journals, books or official reports. You should search the UMUC Library databases for journals or government documents. You must also include 5 or more references from other well-respected sources, such as government, think tank, or professional association publications or Web sites. The paper has a thesis and four sources already approved by the instructor and needs to be used in the paper. See attached document for thesis and references.